Vehicle.



A. D. CONVERSE.

-vEH|cLe. APPLICAON F-(LED )UNE 5.1.9113. .I 1,209,398. Patented Dec. 19,4916. 2sETs-sHm1L ,#0 'H 14 12? A j '.Lwiior:

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A, D. CONVERSE.

vEHlcLg. APPLICATION FILED IUNE 5,1916.

Patented Dee. 19,1916.

y i Inventn-r.'y I ,/lthrtonl). Converse,

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To all whom it may convent.'

'positioned,`thereby adapting thevehicle for AUNITED sTATEs .PATENT OFFICE.v

ATHERTON D.- 'coNvERsn Aor WINcHEnnoN, MASSACHUSETTS. y

. Be it known that I,- A'rnEnToN' D. GoN- vERsE, a citizen -of the United States of America, and a resident of l/Vinchendon, in

. the county'of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, 0f which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicles and'particularly to vehicles to .be used by children,

the rider.

The invention consists of a novel frame- Workcarrying a seat and having a suitable steering mechanism, lsaid framework being provided with suitable supports on which either f Wheels or runners may be use either on ground or ice.,

The invention further consists in the pro-A vision of meansto be` clamped to the runners whereby the vehicle may be adapted for use on soft snow.

The invention consistsfurther in cerxr. .in novel features `of -cons(A tuction and arrange ment of parts which will be fully understood byv reference to the description of the drawings and to the claim. hereinafter given.

For the purpose of illustrating the inven' tion, one preferredvforro thereof is illustrated in the drawings', this form having vbeen found to give satisfactoryA and reliable results, although it is to be understood. thatthe various instrumentalities of which theinvention consists can be variously 'arranged and organized, and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as here- 1n shown and desoribed.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 representan i'.

plan of a vehicle embodyin the principles ofthe present'invention. ig. l2 representsk ajside'elevation of the same. Fig'. 3 re resents a section on line 3- -3 onr Fig. 2. ig. 4 represents a section on 'lie 4 4 on Fig. 2.

" Fig. 5 represents a plan of the vehicle vwith represents a side elevationor 'the same, .and

snow shoes attached ltothe runners. Fig;` '6

Flg; 7 represcntsa section on line 7-47 on'k Fi gimilar characters designate like arts throughout the several' figures of the' raw- Athe drawings, 10k is an inclined beam Specification of Letters Patent'.

v the drawings.

Patented Dee. 19, 191e.'

provided at its upper forward end with the 5 hole il extending therethrough and vat its lower rea-r end with a laterally extending slit12. Extending transversely through the slit 12 is a metal rod 13 clamped irl-position i by 'means ofthe securing member 14 extend- 6 ing through they extreme lower endjpf the beam 10 perpendicularly tothe slit 12. The member 14 is provided -with a head at one end and has a nut 15 threaded to its opposite end. When Athe rod 13 has been 6 properly positioned, by adjusting the nut,- 15, 'the two portions of the end of the beam 10 on veither side of the slit 12 may be brought together and securely clamp the rod 13 in its 'adjusted position. 'At either 7 end of the rod 13 is a traction member 16 which may be a runner, as shown in Figs. v1

. and 2 of the drawings, orlrnay be a wheel,

as shown in dotted linesat 17in Fig. 2of Between the tractionmemliers \16 and the side faces of the beam 10 are sleeves 18 sur- .;rounding the rod 13 and retaining the run-` iners 16 at. vequal distance fromthe side faces of said beam 10. 8 The 'traction members 16 are prevented 'from becoming displaced by means of the "Cotter pins 19. extending through the extrei'ie outer ends of the rod 13. Intermedi. ate the ends of the beam 10 is a vertical slot 8 2O'through which extends acylindrical support 21, to the upper end of which is secured the seat22. -'The cylindrical support 21 extends diagonally through the slot 20, thereby retaining the seat 22 inhorizontal position. 9 On either side of the support 21 and eX- tending through thebeam 10 and across the slot 20 are two bolts 23 provided with heads at one end and nuts 24 threaded tothe opposite end. 'When the support 21 has been 9 positioned in the slot 20 'and the nuts 24:

, have been adjusted, the side walls of the'slot '20 may be 'forced into firm contact Withsaid support 21 and retain itin its adjusted position. The seat 22 is adjusted to 'Suchfa height that the occupant thereof may touch the ground or ice on which 'the vehicle rests andl use his feet as a propelling forcevto move the vehicle.

The forward end 'of the beam 10frests in 1 the bifurcated member 25 secured to the rear face of a' steering member .26'perpendicularly disposed relatively to the inclined beam 10. The bifurcated member 21 has alined openings therein to receive the. pivot pin 2T which is adapted to extend through these openings and the hole 11 in the forward end of the beam 10.

The upper end of the steering member 26 is provided with handles 2S extending laterally therefrom by which the steering member may be moved about the axis of the pivot- 27. The lower end of the-steering member is bifurcated and has a pin 29 extending therethrough, vsaid pin also extending through the traction member 30. Near the lower end of the steering member 26 and extending laterally from the side faces thereof are foot rests 31 on which the rider may place his -feet when coasting. When the traction members are runners, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the web thereof is provided with a plurality of openings extending therethrough.

In case it is desired to use the vehicle upon softvsnow,a snow shoe or plate 33 may be secured to the bottom of each runner. The upper face of the shoe or plate 33 has secured' thereto a pair of parallel plates 34.- separated a distance equal to the thickness of the runner 16 or 30. These plates 34 have upwardly extending ears 35 thereon through which extend bolts 36, said bolts also extending through openings 32 in the runner. One end of the bolt 36 is provided with a head 37, and the opposite end has threaded thereto the nut 38, Between each ear 35 and the web of the runner 16 or 3() is interposed a washer 39.V By adjusting the nut 36 the shoes or plates 33 may be clam )ed firmly in position and the vehicle may then be used to coast over the snow.

When the vehicle-is used on ice, the runners 16-16` and 30 are used and the under face thereof is provided with a groove 40, thereby giving sharp edges to contact with the surface ofthe ice over which the vehicle is moving. By constructing the frame in this manner of a single inclined beam with a. steering member pivoted to the forward end thereof, the cost of manufacture is materially decreased, and ample space is provided for the legs of the occupant of the seat 22. Great freedom of movement of the legs is thereby secured so that the vehicle may be propelled by either or both feet of the rider.

When it is desired to use the vehicle upon the ground the runners 16-16 and 30 may be quickly removed and wheels such as indicated in dotted lilies at. 17 may be substituted therefor. It 1s obvious, therefore, that the vehicle may be converted quickly for use4 either on the ground or the ice or upon the snow. When not in use, the various parts may be quickly dismembered and stored away, occupying but very little space. This is a great advantage in shipping the goods to wholesalers, and also of advantage to the wholesalers prior to delivery to the retailers. The runner 30 may be removed from the steering member 26 by first removing the pin 29. The runners 16 may be readily removed from the rod 13 by first removing the Cotter pins 19. The rod 13 and the sleeves 18 mounted thereon may be removed from the beam by loosening the nut 15. In

a similar manner, the Seat 22 may be removed froxn the beam by loosening the nuts 24. The beam 10 may be removed from the steering member by firstremoving the pivot pin 27.y When these operations have been performed, the various dismembered parts may be packed in small space.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of this invention will be fully understood' from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a device of the class described, an inclined beam having a transverse slitin its lower end; a steering member pivoted to the forward end of said beam and perpendicular thereto; a rod positioned in the slit at the rear end of said beam; means for clamping said rod in'position; traction members on said rod and the lower end of said steering member; and sleeves surrounding the opposite ends of said rods between said bean) and said traction members.

Signed by me at Winchendon, Mass., this second day of June, 1916.

Cona L. SrMoNs, PEARL M. HALL. 

